1. PSAT Wednesday , October 14th
11th Grade Power Point
PSAT
Wednesday , October 14th

2. The National Merit® Scholarship Program
is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)— a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.3 million entrants each year — and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

3. Program Recognition
Of the 1.3 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (critical reading + math + writing skills scores) will qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. In April following the fall test administration, high-scoring participants from every state will be invited to name two colleges or universities to which they would like to be referred by NMSC. In September, these high scorers will be notified through their schools that they have qualified as either a Commended Student or Semifinalist.

4. Finalists
In February, some 15,000 Semifinalists will be notified by mail at their home addresses that they have advanced to Finalist standing. High school principals will be notified and provided with a certificate to present to each Finalist

5. Winner Selection
All winners of Merit Scholarship® awards (Merit Scholar® designees) will be chosen from the Finalist group, based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments—without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. A variety of information is available for NMSC selectors to evaluate—the Finalist's academic record, information about the school's curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, school official's written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay.

6. Percentile
Percentiles help you compare your performance on the PSAT/NMSQT to the performance of other juniors or sophomores. If you are a freshman or younger, you are being compared to sophomores.

7. Sample Questions
Additional sample questions and test taking tips are available in the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT. 7

8. Critical Reading Section: Sentence Completions
Roger said the report was significant; Heather contradicted him, saying that all the information presented was _______ .
Because Heather is contradicting Roger, the correct response is the word that is most nearly the opposite of “significant.”
Choice (E) is correct.
“Immaterial” means inconsequential or irrelevant.
Information that is immaterial is by definition not significant.
(A) contemporary  
(B) scintillating
(C) objective  
(D) irrevocable 
(E) immaterial
SENTENCE COMPLETIONS measure knowledge of the meaning of words and ability to understand how the different parts of a sentence fit logically together.
Choice (A) is incorrect. To say that the information is contemporary, or current, is not to contradict its significance.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Scintillating" means sparkling or brilliant. It is possible for a report to be both significant and scintillating, so Heather would not be contradicting Roger if she described the report in this way.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Heather would not be contradicting Roger if she said the report was objective, or unbiased. A report can easily be both significant and objective.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Irrevocable" means unable to be taken back. This term is not the opposite of "significant" and therefore doesn't indicate a contradiction. 8

9. Critical Reading Section: Passage-Based Questions
Passage Excerpt:
After I left the room, I began to sift my impressions. Only the day before, an acquaintance had warned me to watch carefully for sleight-of-hand tricks, especially as the man had earlier been a stage conjuror.
Question:
The “acquaintance” mentioned in line 2 can best be described as a
The acquaintance mentioned in line 2 warns the author to “watch carefully for sleight-of-hand tricks.”
Choice (A) is correct.
In warning the author to watch out for tricks, the acquaintance is showing that he is skeptical about the telepathist's supposed powers.
(A) skeptic
(B) hypocrite
(C) hoaxer
(D) confidant
(E) mystic
PASSAGE-BASED READING questions measure the ability to understand words, recognize significant information, make inferences, recognize implications, and follow the author’s logic or argument.
Choice (B) is incorrect. There is nothing in the passage to suggest that the acquaintance is a hypocrite; rather, it is the acquaintance who suggests that the telepathist may be a hypocrite.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The acquaintance tries to warn the author about a potential hoaxer. But there is nothing to indicate that the acquaintance is a hoaxer.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The acquaintance cannot be described as a "confidant" because nothing indicates that he has been the recipient of confidences.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Nothing indicates that the acquaintance can be described as a mystic, or one who practices mysticism. 9

10. Math Section: Multiple Choice
If ax + bx = 36, what is the value of x when a + b = 12? 3 6
(C)12
(D) 24
(E) 48
The expression ax + bx is equivalent to (a + b) x, so the equation ax + bx = 36 is equivalent to (a + b) x = 36.
When a + b = 12, the equation becomes 12x = 36, which can be solved to get x = 3. 10

11. Know the Student-Produced Response Directions!
Math Section: Student-Produced Response h 4 1 3 5h 6 If + =
, then what is the value of h? 4 / 7
Multiply each member of the equation by 12
(the common denominator) to get 3h + 4 = 10h
Subtract 3h from both sides to get 7h = 4
Divide by 7
h = 4/7.
STUDENT-PRODUCED RESPONSE questions do not have answer choices. Answers are recorded on this grid.
To put the answer (4/7) on the grid, first write 4, then the fraction bar (slash), and then 7 in the spaces above the grid. It does not matter whether you start at the first space at the left or finish in the last space at the right. If the answer were 2, we could put the 2 in any one of the four answer spaces and bubble in the 2 below it. THE ANSWER MUST BE BUBBLED on the grid in order to receive credit. Incorrect gridding of the answer (ending up different from the one written in the spaces) is one of the most common errors and a sure way to lose points.
Note to Presenter: The directions for recording answers to STUDENT-PRODUCED RESPONSE questions are written in the test booklet and in the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT. Students should read the directions before test day.
Know the Student-Produced Response Directions!
The correct answer must be gridded correctly to receive credit.
What is written in the boxes cannot be scored. 11

12. Calculators are Encouraged
Additional calculator tips:
Don't try to use the calculator on every question. No question requires one.
Decide how to solve each problem; then decide whether to use a calculator.
Make sure your calculator is in good working order and that batteries are fresh.
You will not be permitted to use a pocket organizer; laptop or handheld electronic device; cell phone calculator; or calculator with QWERTY (typewriter-like) keypad, with paper tape, that makes noise or “talks,” or that requires an electrical outlet.
A scientific or graphing calculator is recommended.
Bring a familiar calculator. Test day is not the time
to figure out how to use a new calculator. 12

13. Writing Skills Section: Improving Sentences
A few barges still move oil up to Hartford, but in the old days they had more traffic then.
but in the old days they had more traffic then
but in the old days traffic was heavier
but in the old days they had a lot more
whereas the traffic was a lot more in the old days
(E) whereas then there was more traffic in the old days
(Note: In this question type, the first choice (A) always repeats the underlined phrase exactly, indicating that there should be no change.)
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the errors of the original by eliminating both the unnecessary adverb, “then,” and the vague pronoun, “they.”
Note to Presenter: The Writing Skills section of the PSAT/NMSQT does not require students to write an essay. However, through multiple-choice questions, it tests the ability to identify effective expressions in standard written English, to recognize faults in usage and structure, and to chose effective revisions in sentences and paragraphs.
IMPROVING SENTENCES questions require you to choose the best, most effective form of a sentence.
Choice (A) involves a pronoun error and creates redundancy. The pronoun "they" has no logical antecedent in the sentence. The adverb "then" is unnecessary, conveying nothing more than was earlier conveyed by the adverbial phrase "in the old days."
Choice (C) introduces a vague pronoun. The sentence contains no noun to which the pronoun "they" can logically refer.
Choice (D) involves improper predication. The phrase "a lot more" is inappropriately used as a predicate adjective; its proper use is as an attributive adjective modifying a noun, as in "there was a lot more traffic."
Choice (E) involves redundancy. The adverb "then" unnecessarily duplicates the meaning of the subsequent adverbial phrase "in the old days." 13

14. Writing Skills Section: Identifying Sentence Errors
The electronic computer is a technological triumph that scientists have developed,
mastered, and then put it to constantly increasing use. No Error.
A B C D E
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where an unnecessary pronoun is used.
The object of the verb “have put” (like the object of the verbs “have developed” and “have Mastered”) is the relative pronoun “that,” which refers to “technological triumph.”
The pronoun “it” is therefore unnecessarily inserted after “put.”
In IDENTIFYING SENTENCE ERRORS questions, certain parts of the sentence are underlined. Read the entire sentence and determine if there is an error. Note that some sentences contain no error and that no sentence contains more than one error. If the sentence contains an error, choose the letter under the underlined mistake as the answer choice. Correct answer is on the next slide.
There is no error at (A). The past participle "mastered" properly joins the helping verb "have" to form the present perfect tense.
There is no error at (C). The adverb "constantly" appropriately modifies the participle "increasing."
There is no error at (D). The participle "increasing" functions properly, modifying the noun "use." 14

15. Personalized Skills Information
The PSAT/NMSQT Score Report:
contains information to help you improve your academic skills.
lists skills that you have the best chance of improving with additional work.
includes advice, written by teachers, on how to improve those skills. 15